Audi Promises to Sell A3 Sportback in North America by Next May

The benefit to automakers is that the Canadian market is small enough to not tax current production facilities of a given model, but rather take up overflow and in fact

While the BMW 1-Series' release date is still up in the air, Audi has announced the A3 will hit showrooms in May 2005. (Photo: Audi Canada)

make plants more productive. Canada also serves as a reasonably accurate test-bed for potential American introductions. While the market is definitely different than that in the U.S., it is the closest to it than any other.

Introduction of Audi's A3 Sportback to North America is more definite than BMW's 1-Series, being that Volkswagen Group's Auburn Hills, Michigan head office recently announced the compact model will arrive in North American showrooms in May, 2005 as a 2006 model.

Audi said its A3 Sportback is to feature a new 2.0-liter turbocharged FSI 4-cylinder engine making up to 200 horsepower. The A3 2.0T FSI, sporting a 6-speed manual gearbox, will be capable of charging to 100 km/h from standstill in 7.1 seconds, and achieve a terminal speed of 209 km/h. The brand's stellar DSG sequential-manual/automatic will also be available.